Bruce Jenner

I have just come off the official first weekend of wedding season at the bakery, needless to say I am exhausted! Sunday night came all too quickly and in my head I knew three things; that I was sleep deprived; that I should be doing homework/ studying for finals; and that the Bruce Jenner Interview was waiting for me on my list of recorded shows. The temptation was too much and so I gave in and divulged into two hours of what I was sure to bring a little celebrity drama and gossip for the following week to come. However I was pleasantly surprised when I got so much more from watching this seriously hyped-up interview with Diane Sawyer. At first glance it seems like another Kardashian publicity stunt, but as I watched this sad man I knew it had to be at least a little more than that.

Bruce Jenner, an Athlete, an Olympian, a Father, a Husband, and also Transgender. Bruce came out in this interview with Diane Sawyer as a Transgender, announcing that he will be transitioning into a female who he calls "She". Although this was a coming out moment for him that he is sure to be loud and proud of, he was raw and timid and shy and emotional about revealing this truth that he has been keeping a secret for over 60 years. I think that was the most sad part of the interview in my eyes... Here is a person who has never felt comfortable in his own skin. A person who has had to hide their true-self because of insecurities, something we can all relate to.

In the last two years the LBGT community has been receiving support across the board from democrats and republicans alike and at a state a federal level alike. The Transgender community until recent years has always been a grey area in American culture. Diane Sawyer mentions in the interview that 0.3% (700,000) of adult Americans identify themselves as transgender. However studies being conducted in California at the University of California Los Angeles School of Law's  Williams Institute show that the number should be much higher than that. The issue is with more concise data and the obstacles of gathering the information. Among the various issues that transgenders face housing discrimination at the top, estimated 20%  of the estimated 0.3% having been homeless at least once in their lives. A homeless person cannot fill out the Annual U.S. Census card, and even if they could the gender section of the census only has two categories: Male and Female. In recent news coverage of the State of the Union, Barack Obama was the first black president to use the word "Transgender" openly to address the nation. "As Americans, we respect human dignity…” Obama declared. “That’s why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender." which added a boost to the causes validity among politicians who choose to ignore the LGBT community.

Bruce is receiving some hate on social media (among lots of love) but a ton of backlash from the transgender community who say that his fame and public coming out will detract from their agenda and reputation. Also among the haters are Republicans who were also shocked when Bruce came out as a Conservative Republican. He was openly accepted by the Log Cabin Republicans who are advocates for gays and lesbians in the United States. Bruce should be receiving nothing except love and acceptance for his decision to transition into a woman and he should be proud that he went through with his admission.